Alone
by Floaging
Summary: She rushed through the Tower, fear gripping her heart. Where were they? Had they been kidnapped, and were now in pain, being tortured at the hand of a villain? Or, with the possibility that Slade had returned, had they abandoned her with no thought?
1. Abandoned

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

_**Rating: **__T for safety. There will be some gore, a lot of pain, and bits of romance. Main pairing is the red head Alien and the multicolored acrobat, though there may be parts for the green boy and the half demon._

_**Reviews: **__I appreciate reviews and would love to know your thoughts. There is always room for improvements in stories and even if you hated it, constructive criticisms are invaluable. Please don't flame as it doesn't help me in learning or in your reading enjoyment,_

_Thankyou._

**ALONE**

Starfire opened her green eyes slowly, still tired from yesterday's events. The attack from Cinderblock had been unexpected as with the disappearance of Slade, they had presumed those who worked with him would also go. Robin had been most angry, yelling at her when she had gone to calm him down. He had been convinced that Slade had returned. Frowning she slid off her bed. Hopefully Raven was able to stop him before he once more began his obsession. She floated out of the room, deciding to show her happiness of the new day in the hope it would cheer up the other Titan's. "Friends! Is the day not joyous…" She cried as the front room doors slid open, twirling on the spot. Surprised at the lack of response, she paused, finding the room empty of life. The clock had said it was seven, she had checked as always. Robin was usually up at six to start training and while Raven preferred to stay in her room until breakfast was ready, Cyborg would usually be down here playing video games if he had been able to drag Beastboy out of bed.

Confused, she flew to Raven's room. It was empty. Truly empty, with no sign that anyone had been living there for the past three years. The bed was made but the normally dark room was painted white, with no books adorning the book shelves. Starfire felt fear grip her and hurried out, settling down outside Cyborg's room. The large computers remained but they were off and the various video games he stored here were gone. Rushing to Beastboy's room she slammed the door open, splintering the metal doorframe. It was tidy and all the posters were gone. Silkie was there, curled up on the clean sheets. A strangled scream sounded. Beastboy never tidied and his room was normally filled with the remnants of old food. The disgusting smell, one she had grown used to over the years, was gone. Had someone taken them? Kidnapped them? What if they were being tortured, right this second…she swung round and flew faster then she had ever flown before. Outside though, she paused, debating whether to face the reality that they were missing, possibly dead. Closing her eyes, she opened the door and called Robin's name, her voice wavering,

There was no answer. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings, before falling to the ground, her pain spilling out of her in broken sobs. The various newspaper articles that had been on the walls were missing, the room appearing to be a normal bedroom with none of the various gadgets littering the table in the centre. In fact, there **was** no table, only a bed and bookcase lining the silent room. She did not know how long she stayed there. After regaining some self control, Starfire wiped her eyes and fled the empty Tower. She landed next to the newspaper shack which the tower overlooked, her hands trembling. She did not know who had taken them, how they had been taken without her knowledge and she did not know how to get them back. Maybe they were just refurbishing? She stumbled into the shack, her hands trembling slightly as she regarded the man behind the counter. He was in his late thirties, his nose slightly crooked, and his light blonde hair thinning on top. Dressed in dark jogging bottoms and a Chelsea shirt, the small blue eyes smiling at her as he showed yellowing teeth. "Starfire! I thought you'd gone with the other Titans last night."

She stepped backwards. "What do you mean?"

"I was closing up shop and they took the big spaceship and left. Had all their stuff packed by the looks of it. Had trouble fitting everything in. Only reason I could see was 'cause of that surgery I had on my eyes – well that and the outside light was on when they left – one of those compartment things was stuffed with luggage." He frowned slightly as Starfire turned white. She fled silently, the man's cries doing nothing to stop her as she returned to the tower. In her search, it seemed she tore up the whole tower, as sofa's lay overturned, metal and fabric ripped beyond repair. But there was no note, no reason given anywhere for the Titan's departure. Finally, Starfire slid to the floor, vision blurred by the tears threatening to spill over. She was part of an emotional race who wore their hearts on their sleeves, but as the tears splattered to the wooden floor, her heart slowly began to harden. One thought remained.

They had abandoned her.


	2. Life Now

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

Jump City was quiet. There had been no major attacks over the past week which would usually have made her suspicious, if the amount of small time thefts hadn't increased. She was tired, sore and hungry. Returning to her one bedroom apartment seemed to be the best option at the moment, but she needed to remain on duty until at least 3.00am. The party below her would be ending at 2.50 and everybody would have left the building by 3.00. Glancing at her watch, Starfire groaned. The minute hand seemed to be travelling slower than normal, the hands changing to 1.34 after what seemed like hours. At that moment, she was crouched on top of the City Hall, issues with security forcing her to be there while the President was visiting for his election campaign. A barrel of laughter from within the stately building surprised her, but she kept her balance, wrapping her finger around her shoulder length hair. About 3 months after the disappearance of the other Titan's, she had rebelled, cutting her hair off completely. Horrified with the new look, and still emotional due to the pain her friends had caused, she fled. Due to her Tamaranian roots, it grew back within days and Starfire returned to Jump City, determined to protect it, but remain in the shadows, fearing that if she made any other friends, they would abandon her. She had reverted back to the uniform she had worn when she arrived on Earth, finding it provided better protection due to the silver armour protecting her arms and legs. The rest of it was black which suited her mood nowadays, but she left the headpiece, leaving her hair in a ponytail to prevent it falling into her eyes.

It had been almost five years since they had vanished, the anniversary of the disappearance coming up in six days. The past years, she had locked herself away and refused to come out, finding it easier to deal when she was alone. But this year would be different. Starfire had become less Tamaranian everyday. She still had her strength, her flight, her starbolts, and had become stronger due to constant training. Yet she felt little, preferring to remain unemotional. At one time she had contemplated meditation, but it had brought back memories of Raven that she had hidden in the depths of her mind. Finding it easier and more relaxing to listen to others, Starfire visited a small Cafe known as "Time Flies" every day around lunch, unless her heroic duties got in the way. To pass the time, she would drink a hot chocolate and listen to the other customers chat. No one recognised her anymore - she had dyed her hair brown as well as cutting it and wore dark glasses to hide her green eyes. The press could never catch her after a fight - she always fled, preventing them gaining interviews or pictures. The government of Jump City still paid for her expenses, allowing her to buy a simple four-room apartment. It had been home for the past 4 and 8 months. After four months with no word, Starfire had given up hope and shut down the Tower. Any technology that could be used by villans, she smashed it to pieces, finding herself with no need since Cyborg had been the one to work it.

Starfire was practically unrecognisable, her increased skill and power, combined with the dark look, created a vigilante to rival Batman. She was cold and revealed little even in her "human" guise. She preferred to keep to herself, and began to read books of all kinds, disliking fairy tales due to the happily ever after's they had created. To villains, she sounded both smarter and less naive, her old way of speaking gone, helping her blend in. Though still beautiful, Starfire had become gaunt, cooking only when necessary, and eating little, finding herself busy as the amount of evil that happened increased. She was alone, fighting villians that all five of them had found difficult defeating. Slade had returned, about a year after, and found himself facing an altogether different person. Starfire had bided her time, until, in a fit of rage, she had almost killed him. Horrified at how close she had come to crossing the line, she had visited Batman, having learned of him from Robin. She had begged him to help her, until he consented, creating someone who felt nothing on most days, who controlled her emotions with the efficiency of a cook cracking an egg. She returned to Jump City, returning to the dusty apartment and this time did not leave. He had not just trained her in controlling her emotions - the training was deadly, as he pushed her harder than anyone had ever pushed her before. Starfire sensed the anger underneath the mask, the pain he felt at Robin's disapparance. She had let him believe they had been kidnapped, knowing that if she had told him they left with no reason, left behind their duties, this rage might turn to hatred. By training her, Batman was both releasing his anger, and, in his own twisted way, letting himself believe it would help Robin to return. After she had left and returned to Jump City, Batman had contacted her, raging at her for not trying to locate Robin. She had listened, then hung up, and there had been no contact between them since.

Starfire glanced down, her watch showing 2.49. Eleven more minutes to freedom. A sudden explosion within the party caused her grip on the edge of the roof to tighten, and she catapaulted off, her ability at hand to hand combat on the ground having improved due to Batman's training. She was ready for anything the villans threw at her, and she would stop them and save the day, because that was her duty.

Soon however, she would find herself in a situation that would not only destroy the persona she had created, but cause the spiral of her own destruction to spin out of control.

They had returned.


	3. Return

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

"Dude, I have missed this place." Beast Boy said happily, before turning into a sparrow hawk and twisting around Raven's head. Turning back he smiled, landing on the floor beside the T-Ship. "Starfire is going to go out of her mind when she see's how different we look. After she forgives us of course." He added, as though it was an afterthough, to be disregarded by his companions."I still don't understand why we look so different." Robin said grumpily as he dragged a piece of luggage of the T–Ship.  
"Grat'k has a different balance to Earth. It's a completely different dimension – it might look like we've grown up a couple years compared to Starfire." Raven said, her voice maintaining its steady monotone. Cyborg grinned uneasily at Beast Boy's antics. "I still don't feel comfortable about this. I mean we left Star with nothing. She might have panicked. What if she thought we were kidnapped?" Cyborg pointed out as he pulled the last of the luggage out of the compartment. "And was I right or was I right when I told you the T-Ship would get us there. My baby can do anything." He proclaimed proudly. Cyborg had changed little from the trip though to the trained eye, there were some upgrades – his movements were perhaps more efficient, there seemed to be extra parts that had not been there before. The electric blue casing remained. Beast Boy had finally grown, having achieved a growth spurt within the second week of their departure. He was around an inch or two shorter than Cyborg but gangly, with little muscle gain. His costume remained the same, except the pink streak down the middle was now a dark purple.

Raven had taken on a white cloak and her hair had grown in length. She looked vaguely similar to the time she had defeated Trigon, if slightly older, her features more mature, her violet eyes perhaps warmer than before. Robin had been the one to change the most. Like Beast Boy, he had achieve his growth spurt reaching to around 6 foot in height. Regarding the Robin outfit as slightly young for his increased stature he had become Nightwing, remembering the Tale from Starfire's adventure to the future. His hair remained the same length and the old Robin mask remained in place for old time's sakes. To the Titans he was still Robin, since he had not tried to include them in the name change.

"Oh man, Star had better not have taken the T-Car out as punishment." Cyborg fumed upon noticing the empty garage. "The R-Cycle's gone as well." Robin noted, frowning slightly. "Look dudes, we can solve this later once we've found Star." Beast Boy said sensibly, his excitement infectious. Turning into a gorilla, he banged his chest before picking up most of the bags and lumbering over to the lift. Raven rolled her eyes before waving her hand – the rest of the bags were surrounded by black light before slowly floating in the air. "We might as well follow him – I'm not walking up the stairs."

* * *

"Woah. What the hell happened here?" Cyborg asked bewildered as he looked over the main room. The computers had been smashed to pieces and the windows were destroyed. The fridge was gone, as was the microwave, and the sofa looked like it had been sawn to bits. "Whoever Star got in a fight with certainly managed to reek havoc." Beast Boy said in awe. Dropping his stuff, Robin marched into the corridor, knocking on Starfire's door when he reached it. Raven unfolded from herself to appear next to him with Cyborg and Beast Boy, released from the darkness. "Starfire." He called through. "It's Robin." Hesitating he glanced at the surrounding Titans. "It's all of us. We're really sorry that we left but we got - " The door fell inwards, crashing down into the darkness. Robin stepped back. Switching on a light, Cyborg swept it over the empty room. There was nothing in it - no bed, no dressing table, no bookcase, nothing. "That was unexpected."

"I can't sense her anywhere in the tower. She might have moved into another room and is busy at the moment. There's no need to panic Robin." Raven frowned at him.

"What if something's happened to her? The Tower's a mess, the T-Car and R-Cycle are missing and everything in her room has just vanished." He leaned against the door frame. "We _left_ her, here, by herself, with Slade possibly on the loose. Anything could have happened. What the hell was I thinking." He cried, throwing his hands up in the air.

"It's not just your fault here." Cyborg patted Robin on the shoulder. "We all agreed to go without telling her. We didn't really have a choice - those people were in danger and the transmission said they could only accomodate four of us. The fifth couldn't know because it would put whoever it was, and the operation in danger. It just so happened to be us."

Beast boy piped up. "Yeah. It's only been a few weeks anyway dude. Whoever did this, couldn't have gotten to far."

"We need to fix up this place and then search for Star. We should probably wear civilian clothing - we've been missing for a few weeks and we don't want to make anyone suspicious." Raven raised an eyebrow. "We don't really _own_ civilian clothing. If you haven't remembered from the stress, we spend all our time in our uniforms."  
"There has to be something Raven. Just...just go change, we'll fix up the front room and then we'll look. Alright?" Robin commanded. The others nodded before heading towards the front room, their luggage still scattered on the floor. Cyborg pulled out his holo rings and stuffed them on. Grasping around, he pulled out another set and chucked them at Beast Boy. "Yo, BB, give them a try and see if we can't turn you scrawny green ass white." He laughed, slamming the rings together. "My name's Stone. Victor Stone." Cyborg struck a pose. Pulling out a mirror, he held it up to Beast Boy who stuck out his tongue. "Dudes! I have blonde hair. How weird is that? And I'm normal. I'm flipping _normal_." He pulled on some jeans and a red, long sleeved polo shirt to cover up his outfit. Robin disappeared into the darkness with an outfit, while Raven, after rummaging through her suitcase, slipped on some black three quarter lengths, a green T-shirt and a black baker boy hat. "Starfire made me buy them." She said grumpily at the boy's surprised glances. Robin came out wearing some dark jeans, a white shirt, a leather jacket and sunglasses to replace the mask.

"It's a bit dark to be wearing sunglasses isn't it?" Cyborg said, his lips twitching. His only answer was a scowl, before Robin strode over to the kitchcen cupboards and rummaged through. "Looks like whoever did this took the dustpan and brush as well." He said bitterly. "Very thorough. When I get my hands on whoever did this..." He scowled over at the broken computers fiercely before a despondent look arrived on his face. "Come on." The others followed over him as he headed to the lift. "No point in trying to clean this up. We need to find Starfire." Once more, Robin's eyes became slits. "And once we find her, we are going to find the bastards who took her and make them _pay." _

No one was willing to disagree with him.

But they certainly weren't ready for what they got next.


	4. Five Years

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

"It is me, or has this place changed since we left?" Beast Boy asked, slightly puzzled at the new Pizza Place in front of him. "I know they could have set up shop since we left but it's not just here. There are a load of new buildings that should have taken years to build." He said quickly, as Raven began to open her mouth. She shut it as Robin started down another road. "Robin man, where exactly are we going?" Cyborg moaned as they paused outside another place. "Somewhere with a TV." He said shortly.

"Wouldn't it be sensible to look into newspaper archives?" Raven said quietly. "I doubt the attack on the tower will be publicized now, especially if it happened a few weeks ago." He paused. "The library won't be open. If it's not on TV then we can always ask someone." Heading off, he darted into a bar. There was a small TV in the corner, and the others filed in, settling on the bar, Robin's gaze completely focused on the flashing images.

"The alien leader, captured by the Justice League last week, has escaped, taking a number of known criminals such as Shadow and Gorilla Grodd. A number of investigations are underway to discover their whereabouts and how they escaped from the prison." The reporter, flipped her blonde hair before turning to the man sitting next to her with a wide smile. "Also this week, is the annual remembrance service. Mr. Henner would you like to explain?" The man stood up. He looked to be about 6 foot and was black, his hair cut in a military style. He looked slightly uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing but had a certain presence about him.

"The events will be taking place in Jump City along the main road. The remaining Titan Starfire has agreed to say a speech in their memory. Events will include a candle vigil and various entertainments including a fair in their honour. This year marks the Fifth Year of their disappearance and many of the Justice League, including the Founders will be attending." He continued to blabber on. Nightwing turned to their others. "Who do you thinks been gone for five years?" He asked them quietly. A snort behind them caused them to swivel. A table of builders was behind them, obviously having come straight from the construction site. The largest guy folded his arms and stared at them.

"How can you not know? It's been publicized basically every month since they disappeared. Good riddance if you asked me." He sneered, a number of guys nodding in agreement. "They obviously didn't give a damn about her. Apparently they just left in the middle of night, no word, absolutely nothing. It wasn't like they got kidnapped or anything. They left of their own accord. So the bastards can rot in hell for all I care." Another piped up. "Bill went and saw them and everything." Cyborg frowned.

"But who disappeared?" The first guy rolled his eyes.

"The Teen Titans of course. Starfire's the only one left now. Not that anyone sees here nowadays, except when she's saving the day. I can understand it though – anyone could see she was basically in love with that Robin guy." He stared at the four of them. They had frozen, the blood draining from their faces, their eyes wide. "What?" He asked perplexed.

"Five years?" Beast Boy breathed, astonished and upset.

"That's what I said. The memorial's in 6 days. I won't be going though." He muttered, sipping the pint of beer the barmaid had just dumped in front of him. "Thanks luv." She grunted and slid behind the bar. "They must have had a reason for leaving. They saved us lots of time when they were around. We shouldn't just turn our backs on that." One of the guys scowled, his brown eyes cold. "So's Starfire. Saved everyone of us all by herself, more times than they ever did. She even took down that Slade guy but no one cares about that do they? Just care that four ruddy ex-heroes did a runner and haven't been seen for five years." He spat on the ground, ignoring the glare from the barmaid. "Don't deserve the honour if you ask me."

The four Titans had slipped off their chairs and disappeared, the moment they heard about the memorial. They'd begun running towards the Tower when the bomb went off, sending a number of car alarms off and smoke billowing into the air. They changed direction without thought, still in civilians clothes as they headed towards the scene. They smashed through the door, Beast Boy and Cyborg ripping off the holo rings and turning back into a half robot and changeling. The whole place was full of smoke, and quite a few people were already running towards the door, terrified looks on their faces. "We're in a bank. I presume someone got into the vault by making the door explode." Raven said quietly, using her magic to appear in her customary uniform. Robin had brought his utility belt along just in case, meaning they would be able to take the villain down. They crept forwards, wary about alerting whoever it was too their presence. A sudden movement to the right, alerted Cyborg who shot a sonic blast at the intruder. A blast of bolts crashed down on them, sending them sprawling before Raven picked up a counter with her magic and sent it into the smoke, all the while coughing. Whoever it had been was apparently gone, when no retaliatory attack happened. The smoke was beginning to clear, so they were surprised to find two guys tied up, black balaclavas pulled over their faces.

"We're sorry." One of them was sobbing. "Just take us away; we'll be good I swear."

The sound of cop cars filled the air. "Don't worry about that. You'll be going behind bars even if you didn't want to." Robin said frankly, staring down at the two intruders. Startled their eyes focused on the four Titans. "Oh my God." One of them swore, continuing to stare at them even as the cops began to take them away. "Is that actually you?" The main police officer asked, startled. "You guys have been missing for five years! Do you mind if I call the main office? It's just that…well this is kind of unprecedented. When Starfire rang to say that there were four intruders, but the two robbers were tied up…I didn't expect this." Beast Boy frowned. "I didn't see Star. Do you know where we can find her by the way? We're sort of looking for her." He explained. The cop shook his head.

"She's a recluse. No one knows where she lives and you probably wouldn't recognize her anyway. She's a brunette now from what I heard, though that may just be a rumour. Also I don't think she'll be exactly happy to see you." Robin scowled.

"Don't shoot the messenger. My daughter's obsessed with…well you. She keeps track of stuff and was blabbering on about how Starfire trained with Batman after she went mad and almost killed someone. I wasn't on the case but I did here she beat up someone pretty bad." He said stepping backwards, raising his hands in mock surrender. They nodded at him before Raven began to engulf them in her magic. "What should I tell them? The reporters I mean?" HE called before they disappeared. Robin didn't skip a beat.

"Tell them the Titan's are back."


	5. Confrontation

Teen Titans Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

She staggered into the room and collapsed face-first onto the bed. Her muffled shrieks were interrupted by violent sobs that left her shaking. She stayed this way for almost an hour, before standing up. She needed to hit something, anything, because all she could feel was the pain and frustration that had been building up. She'd been taught to remain emotionless, but for God's sake, just seeing them had left her wanting to throw up. Wasn't it enough that at night she couldn't sleep, nightmares of pain and fear bubbling up, reminding her of how they had left her, abandoned her, with no warning or word?

Starfire doubted they had recognized her. For one, the smoke had been very thick, and by the time they realized they were being shot at, they'd hit the floor and the surrounding area. She wouldn't have even recognized them if the cannon blast hadn't been quickly followed by a volley of objects surrounded in black magic. She got close enough for her green eyes to register the electric blue plating, the swishing of a cloak, the green hair, and the hidden eyes before disappearing up through the skylight. She had called the police once she was on top of her apartment roof, pretending she didn't know who they were because in her heart, she didn't. They had once been her friends, her family, but now they meant nothing but anguish.

But the pain she was feeling, was being followed up by anger. How dare they intrude! Five years with no word only to vault into a situation she had under control, acting as though they were the big heroes! The very nerve of them to think they were welcome in a place they had abandoned! Her knees gave away and once more she collapsed into tears, clawing at her bed spread. The phone went off. She reached out and grabbed for it, knocking several items off of the bedside table before she grasped it. Bringing it to her ear she muttered a greeting, her voice muffled by the bed she was pressing her face into.

"Starfire, thank God." The Chief of Police's voice rang through, his relief obvious.

She sat up. "What's the matter?" Her voice was low, no sign of her distress obvious as her mind focused on the imminent problem.

"There's some type of villain down by the Docks. We can't get close enough to get in – he's burning the whole place down-"

She slammed the phone down before he could finish and rushed over to her open window, slipping out and flying off. It was still daylight, but few people liked to visit the rundown area she now lived in, and few expected a superhero to live there. She was well paid, but the place suited her needs, so she mainly donated the money to charities that caught her interest. Mostly it was orphanages, or places who took children in if they were abandoned. It had hit a chord the first time she realized she wasn't the only one who had ever been discarded like an old toy. On Tamaran, this discardal of friends and family did not occur. Some may betray the other – such as Blackfire had done with her, but they never just up and left with no word of explanation. They were a warrior culture. To leave was seen as a sign of cowardice.

She could see the inferno from a couple of blocks away. There was no way she would be able to put it out, not before the whole building collapsed. It was too big and while they were close to the sea, there was nothing that could be used to lift the water. She just had to hope that taking out the bad guy would stop the fire. Starfire shot downwards, crashing through an open window and several floors before locating him. His powers looked to be powered by a backpack, a glass helmet over his head. His laughter was loud, a microphone positioned near his mouth as the fire continued to tumble out of the wires attached to his hands. The protection within his suit looked like it could stand against fire, but she doubted it could stand against her smashing it to pieces. "Well look who we have here folks!" He chuckled eerily. It was only then that she noticed the couple huddled to the back of the room, terrified looks painted on their faces.

"Let them go, Blast." Her voice was soft, but there was steel behind her words.

"Now why would I do that, Starry?"

The words had only just left his mouth when she came rushing through the flames and smashed him against a wall. He felt the metal of the backpack crunch and break, groaning as Starfire's free hand twisted it into a new shape. "Do we have to go over this again, Blast? No more arson. Or the next time that may be your head."

She dropped him, her voice taking on its normal quality, as she rushed to reassure the couple. She kicked through the nearest window and grasped both of them with one hand. The other she used to pick up Blast by the scruff of his neck. Flying out the window, she dropped Blast when it was safe before gently putting down the couple. They were still clinging to each other.

The Chief rushed over. "That was the last of the civilians, but we have no way of putting out the fire. It's going to keep burning and make its way to the city if we aren't careful." The look on his face was desperate. The building began to collapse, sending shockwaves of hot air smashing into the surrounding humans. But what Starfire was focused on was the large water bubble that was floating over to the building, black magic creating swirling patterns. It poured out, the fire hissing before dissipating. She felt like she was frozen, a violent scream wanting to pour out of her throat as a green fly suddenly transformed into Beast Boy. A much taller, older Beast Boy.

"Star!" he exclaimed jovially. "I have really missed you!" He held his arms out for a hug, his face hopeful as she stared blankly at him.

So she did the only thing she could think about – she punched him in the face, sending him flying backwards and landing with a thud next to some policemen. She stepped backwards, before lifting off and shooting upwards. Her body was suddenly incased in black magic that began to pull her down towards Beast Boy. He was now struggling up with the help of Cyborg and someone who looked like the Nightwing she had seen in the future. Raven was standing not that far away, a white cloak flapping around her. The building was now ashes, but the fire was out, smoke spiraling up into the air.

_"We just want to talk."_ Raven's voice invaded her mind as she struggled against the hold.

"Well I don't want to bloody talk!" she screamed at her, her voice hoarse from crying. Her eyes lit up green as she shot down at Raven. She was obviously surprised, because she avoided it by seconds, releasing her grip on Starfire, who shot away.

But it appeared to have angered her, and her powers seemed to have developed, because the next hold was much stronger and much more violent. Starfire felt like she was choking as she was lowered to the ground in front of the others. Beast Boy was holding his jaw tenderly as he stared up at her, but she felt only a twinge of remorse before anger took hold.

"Starfire…" Nightwing muttered at her. This was not the Robin she had fallen in love with – hers had left, breaking her heart in the process, to become this dark being who she felt only hatred for. She glared at them, holding back the tears that threatened to fall down her face. She would not lose her dignity in from of these people. "Star…" He glanced up into her eyes. "I'm sorry." His voice was nothing but a whisper, almost pleading with her to listen.

But it was what caused her to snap.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" Her voice was hysterical. "You think you can come back here after five years with no word and everything will be alright because you said you were sorry?" They all flinched, Raven relinquishing her hold slightly at the bitter words thrown at them. "I hope you all rot in hell."

"Star…we didn't know it had been so long. The dimension we were in…it felt like five weeks and we didn't know. It's just…" Nightwing shrugged helplessly staring back at his friends.

"Like five weeks is any better," she hissed. "Now. Let. Me. Go."

Raven released her hold and watched as Starfire shot off into the sky.

"Why did you do that?" Beast Boy asked, bewildered.

Cyborg hit him. "BB, she obviously didn't want to talk to us. We need to give her time. She thinks we abandoned her for five years. We were her friends, her family. Could you imagine what Star must be going through?"

Raven continued to stare after her. "I can. And it's hell. Pure and utter hell."


	6. Subdued

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**AN:** Unfortunately, due to exams, I'm finding it difficult to find anytime to write anything. I will be continuing with this story but there won't be really long chapters at regular intervals until mid June. Thank you to my beta Miles333 for all her wonderful work, and thank you to all reviewers - your comments are much appreciated.

**ALONE**

Robin gasped in pain as Raven set his dislocated shoulder. It was sore, but at least the pain wasn't a throbbing fire anymore.

"Starfire's getting violent," Beast Boy said quietly.

They'd all been subdued since the first confrontation with her – seeing the pain they had caused had hit home more than anything else. Ever since then she'd been helping civilians, but had pretty soon started to attack them if they came near her. Raven had reported that this wasn't just anger – she was frightened of them as well, and fighting them seemed to her to be the only way they would leave her alone.

"We deserve it." Robin's voice was hollow.

"I don't understand why we didn't just tell her that we had to go," Cyborg muttered.

"At the time it seemed like the right thing to do."

"Well, it wasn't," Beast Boy snapped.

"Don't, guys." Robin sounded tired as he startled Raven, whose mouth was opening to spit out a reply. "We shouldn't be fighting. Not now."

"This can't keep happening. We're heroes. We should be working with her to help stuff."

"We can't even get close enough to talk to her. She's…she's improved so much that she could take all of us. I know it's been five years, but someone must have trained her." Cyborg frowned. He looked over at Robin, who shrugged, wincing at the pull on his shoulder. "I recognized some of her moves, but I think I taught her some of them."

"Or maybe the person who taught you taught her them." Raven's voice was quiet, but caused the room to still.

"Batman? But why would he do that?" Beast Boy sounded genuinely confused.

"You may not be close anymore, Robin, but at one point you were his adopted son. He may have been angry and decided to train her to do something. There are quite a lot of people who believe that we were kidnapped. Maybe he was one of them."

Robin's face twisted into a grimace. "I doubt it. He makes sure that he knows everything. It's what keep the villains running scared."

Beast Boy was sending admiring looks over at Raven, very different from the previous anger. "How'd you manage to figure that out?"

She continued standing, allowing her magic to gently seep into Robin's muscles. "When you spend as much time as I do working on your emotions and thoughts, it helps develop how perceptive you are. I know quite a lot of things, just because of how people act. Cyborg was right. Someone had to have trained her, and a lot of her moves were very efficient. Not only that, when Starfire isn't fighting us, she appears to have no emotions. Much like Batman." Since the five year trip, Raven had been much more open with them.

The trip was perhaps the worst of this. It had become clear once they had landed there that the planet had needed help. But the level of secrecy had not been needed. In fact, Robin had been close to calling for Starfire, once the level of craziness got out of control. The people avoided their questions about why only four were needed, and why they couldn't have told their fellow Titan. Mostly it was an undercover operation, trying to defeat the Prakij, an alien species intent on conquering the relatively peaceful culture the Titans had come to appreciate.

"Something was off about the mission." It was a relatively simple statement, Raven's monotone voice simply adding gumption to it.

"The people kept avoiding it. Do you think they did something, made us more susceptible to the plea?" Robin asked thoughtfully.

"Didn't a bunch of dust come out with the letter? We breathed some in – maybe it's some weird special thing that did stuff to make us…" Beast Boy trailed off uncertainly.

"Whatever the case, they needed us. We just have to hope that by helping them, we don't lose Star all together." Cyborg's voice was determined if slightly dejected.

"We just have to hope." Robin sounded subdued, and the others watched as he drew further into himself.

There wasn't that much hope to go around anymore.


	7. Game, Set and Match

Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**AN:** Unfortunately, due to exams, I'm finding it difficult to find anytime to write anything. I will be continuing with this story but there won't be really long chapters at regular intervals until mid June. Thank you to my beta Miles333 for all her wonderful work, and thank you to all reviewers - your comments are much appreciated.

**ALONE**

It has worked. It required little effort, my Lord. The being in front of him smiled. Or, it would have if it had been able to. It just seemed as though it were smiling.

Excellent. The word rebounded, filling his mind. He was known as STORM, one of the Enorelbot, a group of planners, of spies. A group created to fulfill the wishes of those who were rich enough to afford them. STORM was the leader, the third eldest. The first and second, those known only as the Oldest, never completed the missions. They were separate beings who were always together, who controlled all of the Enorelbot.

STORM was considered special, for more than age. He was their child, but felt little when subjected to the questions. He had not been raised by them, had not known them. He was only one of their species, an outcast among those he commanded. But he was also the best, the strongest, the smartest. And so he continued to bide his time, to take only those that would further him. Such as this.

Because the being he now worked for held unbelievable power. And the job that the being had selected required very little. Soon the being would have what it wanted. And soon, STORM would have his dreams.

* * *

Starfire had noticed the man around twenty minutes ago. He was sitting, jeans and a black button-up shirt encasing him. He was a redhead, hair cut short, and reminded her faintly of Speedy from when she had last seen him. It wasn't him – it had been a few years, but she did remember that Roy was better looking, and didn't have brown eyes. Whoever he was, he had been glancing over at her every few minutes, staring for longer than necessary and sending strange smiles.

It was slightly disturbing, and with the constant feeling of edginess that had crept up on her since the other Titan's return, it had begun to unnerve her. She had improved on one base at least. Previously she had been unable to even think about the other Titans without bursting into tears. Once, the fight after which she had dislocated Nightwing's shoulder, she had thrown up, pressing her face against the cold toilet, the smell of vomit filling the air. It was a new experience – she had not even know that Tamaranians were able to, figuring it was a human problem.

She had been wrong.

A sudden noise next to her caused Starfire to snap into reality. The redhead was at her table, his eyes skitterish as he smiled nervously. "Hi." He extended a hand. "I'm Sean." Paranoia was beginning to envelop her she realized dimly. The sunglasses covered up her eyes, and she was wearing a large floppy hat and black coat. There was no reason for him to want to come over here, since there was little to actually see.

"Kori," she muttered slightly, glaring at the hand. It dropped and she retreated back into her chair.

"I've seen you over here a couple of times and I just thought it was time to introduce myself to the dark coffee drinker." He was definitely nervous, the hand he had just dropped twitching up to his hair.

"That's nice."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you or anything. Clearly I'm intruding."

She glanced up. On closer inspection, he appeared harried, an apology written in his words and his actions. "No. I'm just a little…" She searched for the word. "Edgy." He sat back down. She was surprised at how relieved she felt. Mere moments ago she had wanted him gone. But it had been a long time since she'd felt…not lonely.

"Do you live around here?" The question was sudden but she wasn't surprised. Little surprised her anymore.

"Yes. It suits me and it's in a good situation for my work."

"What do you do?" This was always the hardest bit. A while ago, when she had first taken up the disguise and when she had been bitter but lonely and still scared, even with Batman's training, this had been the pivotal moment, the part where she either fled or faced it. Her voice was soft when she replied. "I work for the government." She raised her chin. "You?"

"I'm an art dealer. Travel around a lot, see a lot of clients. I have a show on, actually. I was coming here for the Titans' reunion, but once that got cancelled what with their return, I decided to set up a gallery."

She hadn't flinched.

"Do you want to come? I'd like to see you again after this nice chat we've had."

She giggled. It was surprising and light hearted, and made no sense. But it was the first time that there had been any interest in her from anybody. Even before **they** had gone. Because then it had been fan interest, and Robin had clearly been a ridiculous assumption. "That would be nice."

Sean's smile was brilliant, as he rummaged in his jeans pocket before producing a business card. "Perhaps next time, I can actually see your face."

The first crack in her cold exterior allowed her to reply almost jovially. "Maybe you can." She took the card and slid it into her pocket, leaving some change on the table, tipping her hat at the man in front of her. "It was nice to meet you." She walked out, and once she was far enough away, she leaned against a wall and smiled. Five years, and all it had taken was a kind stranger. She never had been good at the kind stranger thing.

The red headed man smiled. "Place, set and match," he whispered.

* * *

**AN: Can anyone figure out where Enorelbot came from? Cookie for those who figure it out. Here's a clue - Switzerland. Though that might have just made it harder...**

**Eating almonds,**

**Floaging**


	8. Just A Little Dust

Teen Titans Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**AN:** Unfortunately, due to exams, I'm finding it difficult to find anytime to write anything. I will be continuing with this story but there won't be really long chapters at regular intervals until mid June. Thank you to my beta Miles333 for all her brilliant work and thank you to all reviewers - your comments are much appreciated.

**ALONE**

"So basically, John was coming at me and I just stood there, like, what the hell is going on? He tackled me and then rolled off, and my mate Charlie dropped a bucket load of pink paint all over me. It was a birthday party I will never forget, that's for sure."

Kori giggled. It had been two weeks since she had first met Sean, and they had hit it off quite spectacularly. He was funny, charming, and intelligent, as well as a very good distraction. With the increase in criminal activity, she had been forced into confrontations with the other Titans several times. She was becoming a bit more civil, but it still hurt. Sometimes, she could see Beast Boy or Cyborg staring at her, a little shard of hope in their eyes. Even Raven would sometimes smile at her, before dropping it and moving on. It was Robin…Nightwing as he had begun to call himself, who truly disturbed her. It was as though he was ignoring her, as though suddenly she was the one who had hurt _him_, deserted _him_.

She wondered if he'd gone to see his mentor yet. Batman would already know of their return – she had a feeling most of the League did. It would please Wally, of course. Ever since his break-up with Jinx, which she had heard various moans about, causing her to snap at him and slam the door in his face, he had been restless and slightly sad. Perhaps it would be the pick-me-up he needed.

Kori returned her attention to Sean. They had met up various times over the past two weeks. He was what she needed. He wasn't moody or always focused intently on his work. He didn't ignore her or betray her, and he certainly wasn't like _him_.

"I'm going out of town next week for a few days," he said abruptly.

She stirred her coffee. "Going anywhere nice?"

"Down south. Work stuff."

She nodded, sipping the bitter mixture.

"I was thinking we could go see your place."

Kori frowned. "Is it not usually the owner who invites someone back to their home?"

He blushed slightly. "Yeah, I just wanted to know everything about you. Sorry, I'm being a bit pushy, aren't I?"

Kori shrugged, discarding the awkward moment. "No, it's fine…I'm just not that comfortable showing people back to my house."

"Don't worry about it! You going to do anything interesting when I'm gone? I'm going to be distracted the whole time missing you." His grin was sincere.

She smiled slightly, sipping her coffee.

Definitely perfect.

* * *

"How are we meant to figure out what bloody well happened if there's no evidence or record?!" Nightwing picked up one of the books and chucked it at the wall, before collapsing forward with a groan. "This is getting us nowhere."

"Dude, I'm sorry, but I really looked for any trace of that dust – there's nothing left."

"Beast Boy, it's not your fault. It's been five years; I didn't really expect much. It's just…"

"Until we know what happened, there is absolutely no reason for Starfire to forgive us – our position is weak at best." Raven's voice was quiet. No one denied her claim.

The rustling of pages was the only sound for an hour.

"Cyborg! Keep it down in there, would ya?" Beast Boy moaned, the sudden burst of life from downstairs startling them. The screen popped up to reveal an excited looking Cyborg. "Sorry! But I was doing a detox – seriously, ya'll need to clean out your computers. I don't think you realize quite how much dirt gets in there – when my own circuitry was malfunctioning so I decided to filter it, and that freaky ass dust! It's what's been clogging everything up. I managed to run a few tests and it turns out that it is a minor hallucinogen."

"What? I would have thought it would have been something to mess with our emotions."

"Right you are, Robin – sorry, _Nightwing_ – but as helpful as it isn't, the hallucinogen can have very varied effects, and never effects people the same way. Unless there is an outside magical force."

Raven narrowed her eyes at the screen. "Meaning…"

"Because it's only been five months basically to us, the residual effects of the stuff are _still there_. It's pretty common so that wouldn't have helped at all, but because of the messed up timings, Raven, you should be able to trace it to whoever cast the spell."

"If it's a hallucinogen, why didn't we properly hallucinate?" Nightwing rested his arms on his thighs as he leaned forwards.

"It's based in ingredients commonly used in magic based recipes, meaning it's easier to control. It's only called a hallucinogen because the people who use it, are usually using it to go and see into "other worlds" and all that crap."

"But with the right spells, it could be turned into something which would let us take our guard down and prevent us from thinking about the side effects of leaving Starfire behind, focusing only on the fact that we were needed," Raven muttered quietly.

"Exactly."

"If Raven can trace whoever cast this spell, it could probably lead us to the high-up dude then, right? And then we could go figure out the evil little scheme, right?"

"It's the best lead we've got. Raven, go help Cyborg. Beast Boy, keep searching."

"What are you going to do?"

Nightwing narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "I need to go see a Bat."

* * *

**AN: Well done to Bunnyxx and Erifrats101 for figuring out that Enorelbot is just the backwards spelling of Toblerone. Have a cookie :D**

**Sadly, I had my GCSE's start this week, but I'm on study leave so yay! For anybody else suffering through GCSE's good luck, but really, like me, you should be revising :P  
**

**Procrastinating,**

**Floaging**


	9. Homecoming

Teen Titans Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

Richard Grayson wasn't particularly fond of Bruce Wayne. He was as close a father as he had and had taught him some valuable life skills. He had also helped shape him into who he was today, but that still didn't mean that they were particularly close. If you took away the past five years when they'd been missing, they hadn't talked at all since Dick had moved to Jump City. The argument they had had, had been petty at best, but just enough to ensure the eventual blow-up that caused him to leave. And he had left with a telling to never to return. It wasn't a particularly fond memory.

But as many resources as Dick had back in Jump City, where his Nightwing persona lurked, as much as it felt like his pride and dignity were about to be crushed, Bruce Wayne aka. Batman, Bats, The Dark Knight – he was still more experienced, more resourceful and no doubt still all together too knowing. Fortunately, as annoying as this was, occasionally it could be useful. And standing at the dark gates leading up to the mansion at around five o'clock in the hope that Batman had not started his nightly patrol, Dick hoped this would be one of these moments.

"Master Dick, the gates are open," came a voice through the crackling box.

He smiled, remembering one of the good things about Wayne Manor. "Thank you, Alfred." Slipping through, Dick stalked up, keeping his eyes focused on the Manor, his jaw tightening with every second. He loved the man as a father and respected him to no end, but any amount of like he had held for him had faded over the years.

Because loving someone doesn't mean you necessarily have to like them.

The door was open when he got there, Alfred exactly the same in his starched suit, stiff, prim and proper, his eyes lighting up as they landed on him. "A pleasure to see you, Master Dick, after all these years. I presume you're here to see Master Bruce?"

Dick chuckled. "I could be coming here to catch up on the good times, Alfred. You don't need to sound so ominous."

"Both you and Master Bruce are masochists. Talking about the good times doesn't particularly interest you. However, I'm always available for a cup of tea in the kitchen. Otherwise, you will find him in the cave." With a bow, Alfred spun round and seemed to almost glide off.

Dick sighed, running his hands through his dark hair. Even though they weren't related, he remembered going to all the events where he wasn't just Bruce's protégé. To them he was his son and they always commented on how alike they were, except in mood. "If they only knew the darkness within," he muttered, before squaring up his shoulders and striding towards the hidden entrance. It was like he had fallen through a time portal like _she_ had once done, except it was going to the past instead of the future. Nothing had changed. Not the wallpaper or the pictures or the slight stiffness in the entrance. The Bat Cave was the same if a little more advanced – high tech computers and weapons littered the room. The dead dinosaur was also a new feature.

"Nightwing." The voice was soft, hard, cold, a reminder of so many things he'd tried to leave behind.

"Bruce," he said quietly. "My name is Richard. Or are you so wrapped up in Batman you can only remember the facades?" There was silence. Dick turned round slowly, his eyes alighting on the feared Dark Knight. He looked tired. A few streaks of silver in his hair, bags under his eyes. But he was just as he remembered. Tall, dark, proud. "It's been a while. I was testing out the new name."

Bruce gestured to a seat. "Sit."

He remained stubbornly standing.

The old Bruce would have scowled and demanded him to sit, wanting to assert his authority. This Bruce just shrugged and slid into the one next to the computer, his posture stiff. "What do you want, Dick? I'm going to assume this isn't a social call."

"It's been over five years."

"It's been over five years for everyone, but I don't see you trying to visit them. Wally keeps asking, but you don't seem to have the time to visit him. And you're a bit to prideful to forget the past just because a few years have passed."

"Bit hypocritical, Bruce."

Bruce's jaw tightened. "What do you want? I'm busy, and unless you want something, I suggest you follow my instructions from several years previously and leave me in peace."

Dick rolled back onto his heels and crossed his arms, staring at the man in front of him. "What did you do to Starfire?" Bruce didn't move. "What did you do to her?"

"Did you know she petitioned to change her name? The word brought up too many painful memories. None of the citizens accepted it."

"Bruce…"

"I didn't do anything to her. The rest of the Titans and yourself did enough."

"She visited you. Stayed with you for a while." He stalked over and leaned down, resting his hands on the arms of Bruce's chair.

Bruce leaned backwards, threading his fingers together as his eyes glinted. "I didn't do anything. She came to me for guidance on how to prevent herself from collapsing. She was dying. Emotions may make up a Tamaran, help them control their abilities, but that means they feel everything so much more strongly. The more pain she felt, the more her body began to destroy itself. I simply helped her find a way of controlling her abilities while suppressing her emotions so she was able to live." His smile was broken. "You should be thanking me. If I hadn't helped her she would have been dead long before you returned from whatever planet you decided to hop off to in order to gain a free vacation."

Dick reared back. "We were drugged." He scowled.

Bruce shrugged once more. "Believe that if it makes you feel better. But that drug you're talking about can be easily broken if the person's will was strong enough. Your will just wasn't strong enough. Meaning that whatever feelings you may have for Koriand'r were obviously either not strong, or you were just to weak to face up to the idea and preferred hurting her over fear of hurting yourself." Bruce growled. "Now get out. You got what you wanted. I can't help you with anything else. I don't know who supplied the drug and frankly, I don't care. You made your bed – _now lay in it_." He spun around to face the computer and began to frantically type.

Dick remained for only seconds before turning round and running out, fury building up inside of him. "This isn't the end." He muttered as soon as he heard the gates clank behind him. "This isn't over."

* * *

**AN: Thank you to all faithful reviewers - without you this story probably wouldn't have continued. Since exams are now over I have more time so I will be updating more regularly so don't worry - hopefully this will have been one of the longest waits between updates. Again, you are all fabulous!**

**Readingissotheitthing,  
**

**Floaging  
**


	10. The COLONY

Teen Titans Fanfiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. The plot line and any minor characters belong to me; similarities between major characters and any living person are unintentional.

**ALONE**

"So basically, Bats gave you nothing."

"He gave me enough Gar." Beast Boy tilted his head.

"But I thought that you said – "

Nightwing pulled out a disk from his pocket before sliding it into the computer in front of him. "All I need is on here. He must be getting old." Dick muttered. At their confused glances he rolled his eyes. "He didn't notice me take it. Which is highly suspicious." Raven watched the screen, her eyes hidden by her hood.

"How do you know that this is what you need? It could have been anything."

"Batman was using it before I came in. He was slipping it away by the time I got to him. I just…slipped it out again." Frowning, he attempted to hack in. It opened on his first try.

"That was little too easy wouldn't you say?"

"What if he _wanted _you to get it?" Raven asked. Cyborg leaned forwards, and began to type quickly, rolls of information appearing on the screen.

THE COLONY.

_Ruled by an unknown entity, the COLONY was created in 1473, designed to destroy all beings with supernatural power. Over time, its primary aim changed. The Log Book found in a head quarters on the planet Taghik, mentioned "the changing from good to neutral, before reaching the final – ". The rest had been burned in an explosion during the attack on the COLONY. Many of the COLONY are believed to have originated from the planet Taghik, making them 'dust' beings. The COLONY have ties with the Enorelbot, usually licensing them out or working with them in order to complete their primary aim._

"Who the hell are the Enorelbot?" Raven shifted forwards, pulling her hood back.

"I recognise the name. From what I can remember, they're a group of spies. They work for the highest bidder. Led by a man called STORM. Mostly beings of dark magic. But the "dust" beings. Maybe they gave us a little present." Beast Boy tilted his head.

"You mean the dust that apparently messed with us – could have been an alien?!"

"It would explain why I haven't been able to trace the magic. It's an alive being, held together by the magic of 'life'. But I think that the dust we were given came from a dead member of the COLONY. If they are dust beings it would mean they should have a shape, but the dust it still all over the place. So maybe when they die, they give off a faint trace of the hallucinogen that Cyborg was talking about."

"They sacrificed on of their own, just to confuse us?" Nightwing shifted, his face darkening. "But what was the point?" Beast Boy turned pale.

"What if it wasn't about us? What if it was about separating us from Starfire, because they wanted to turn her…" He frowned for a minute before turning to the screen and leaning forwards. "_from good to neutral, before reaching the final…_whatever it is. And I'm going to go with it isn't good." Nightwing's jaw had tightened considerably through this.

"We need to find out what this unknown entity is. And we need to find Starfire. She's in danger and if they are turning her possibly evil then it will probably be subtle. So subtle she may not even know its happening."

"She hate's us Wing. How exactly do you expect us to find her and then stop her from trying to kill us?" Cyborg asked slowly, shutting down the computer.

"Just say sorry a billion times?" Beast Boy said. He shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe we should send in the one she least hates." He cocked his head towards Raven who glared at him.

"You were her best friend. And apparently she remembers this. Though you'd think that would make her hate you more."

"I should be going." Nightwing growled. They stared at him. "What? She was my responsibility!"

"She hates you."

"She hates all of us."

"But you're the one who broke her heart."

* * *

There was something very strange going on. Sean had arrived back but was becoming very pushy. The relationship between them had become romantic quite quickly, something which she savoured because it was the first, not counting **him**, since she'd landed on Earth. But even though she turned a blind eye to a few of his stranger moments, she had been raised and trained as a warrior and she could not ignore the suspiciousness of his actions.

He knew more than he should about her. He'd mention parts of her life as Starfire without ever saying it, and knew about her life on Tamaran, something only the Teen Titans really knew about. How he even could know that she was Starfire remained a mystery. She'd hidden it for the past four years without issue and now suddenly, Sean seemed to be taking it apart right in front of her eyes.

What really frightened her was how, whenever she was with him, it was as though all these worries disappeared. When she left him, she'd be addled for hours afterwards, forgetting things as though during that time, she hadn't been herself but somebody's play toy. It left her feeling weak and defenceless.

For the past few weeks, she'd ignored the calls for help, letting the remaining Teen Titans – who if she thought about it, were no longer "Teens" – take down the baddies. She was so afraid of confronting them, of seeing them, when all she really wanted to do was collapse and cry and forgive them. Well, three of them. The fourth one - though the others had done exactly the same, though it was perhaps hyprocritical and a tad ridiculous to forgive all but one – it couldn't be helped. By them leaving, by him in particular, they're broken her.

She knew that she'd had a crush on him. But the extent of her love had surprised her and she hadn't even recognised it until her heart had been chopped into pieces and then stamped into dust. Melodramatic though it may be, she was a Tamaranian, where emotions were felt so strongly, the feeling of pain alone could kill you off, especially from a broken heart.

Sean kept asking to see her house. It was annoying at best, rude at worst and though not particularly difficult to deal with, she was starting to feel as though he was using her for his own grand schemes. She had recently come across a letter while in his house, addressed to STORM. Yes, she had in fact been snooping in his bedroom, but the contents of the letter seemed to be in a language she did not recognise.

Considering she could learn language through contact of the lips, and considering they had been dating for at least a month at this point in time, it made no sense that could not read it. She'd copied the first line down, with the intention of research, but she knew that the only people who would be able to help her would be the Titans or Batman. Or if she appealed to the Justice League…

Wally in particular would be eager to help. He'd contacted her a few days before, asking if she knew why Nightwing hadn't called him yet. As politely as she could, she'd told him that she was not in contact with the Titans and so had no idea what was going on. Sensing perhaps that it was a difficult moment for her, he'd apologised, making her promise to call him if she needed anything.

What she did need, was some outside help. But what she really needed, was Raven.

* * *

**AN: I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. I was in Uganda most of last month and with the stress of starting a new school Fanfiction has been the last thing on my mind. Also, there have been some problems with uploading things which hasn't helped. Any other stories I write may also have been suffering from my lack of time so hopefully I'll be able to upload more chapters over the next week or two. Also, because of time issues, I've been unable to send this to my wonderful beta Miles333 so don't blame her for any grammar or spelling mistakes.**

**Keep your fingers crossed,**

**Floaging**


End file.
